Irving Oil has a long tradition of blazing new trails, whether they’re new products and services or new locations. Our founder, K.C. Irving was a true visionary and trailblazer, and his example remains part of our culture as we continue our expansion into new markets.

Even in our long-standing support of amateur sport throughout Eastern Canada, Irving Oil never shirks from blazing new trails. One example, beginning in 2010, is our sponsorship of the Canadian Women’s Tackle Football team – the first ever national team for this sport. And we are extremely proud to say that they qualified for the Women’s Tackle Football World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden, held in June.

Our company had several first-hand connections to this team. Out of the 45 members on the national team, 14 players were from Saint John, New Brunswick -- five of which were Irving Oil employees. One of the coaches also works for our company, and the team’s head coach was even the father of an Irving Oil employee!

Irving Oil employees Lisa Rogers, Jaclyn Brewer, Ashlee Clements, Trina Graves and Lisa Harlow were among the players on the national team. Proud to represent Canada and Irving Oil on the world stage, the women underwent an intense training program to prepare them for the World Championships, where they would face teams from the United States, Sweden, Austria, Germany and Finland. The training included team practice twice each week, and two daily workout sessions that the women had to fit in around their day jobs and personal lives.

Fortunately, the players received so much support from their peers and colleagues that they were able to manage this delicate balance. They credit the camaraderie and collegial work environment with helping them through the grueling training schedule.

To demonstrate not only our company’s support, but that the community at large was behind them, we arranged a community rally before the team left for Stockholm. Our company also donated $15,000 to help cover travel costs to the World Championships.

The team proudly brought home Canada’s first Silver medal – a huge accomplishment for their first showing on the international stage. However, their eye is still on the Gold, and all of the Irving Oil players are eagerly awaiting the next training season to prepare for the national championships and the 2013 World Championships.